Judge accepts language for proposed Bradley Manning guilty plea

11/29/12 12:25 PM EST

A military judge has accepted the language for Army Private Bradley Manning's proposed guilty pleas to some of the charges filed against him in connection with alleged leaks of military reports and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, according to the Associated Press

Army. Col. Denise Lind announced her decision Thursday during a pretrial hearing at Fort Meade, Md. She said he could face punishment of up to 16 years confinement on the charges he's admitting to including disclosing a battlefield video, Iraq and Afghanistan war logs and storing classified materials improperly, AP reports.

While the defense move appears to be a bid to resolve the case, the plea offer is not a plea bargain. The military officer who ordered Manning's court martial has the authority to proceed with the filed charges, which include a charge of aiding the enemy and carry a potential punishment of life in prison.

Hearings are continuing at Fort Meade this week into a defense motion asserting that Manning wasunlawfully punished during more than eight months of confinement at a Quantico, Va. brig under conditions his supporters say amounted to solitary confinement.